This invention relates to a method and apparatus for bonding a printing plate onto an endless printing belt.
There has been well known a belt-type printing machine which is capable of varying lengths of printing without being restricted to a circumferential length of a plate cylinder. As shown in FIG. 14 of the accompanying drawings, the belt-type printing machine comprises a plate cylinder 11, an adjustable cylinder 14 spaced apart from the plate cylinder 11 for adjusting a distance from the plate cylinder 11, an endless printing belt 33 made of a flexible sheet of synthetic resin and passed around the cylinders 11 and 14, the printing belt 33 having a printing plate 68 bonded onto the upper surface of the printing belt 33, and an impression cylinder 65 cooperating with the printing belt around plate cylinder 11 to produce printing on a continuous sheet of paper 70 by the printing plate 68 during travel of the printing belt.
In this belt-type printing machine, there is a need for precisely bonding the printing plate 68 onto the printing belt 33 at its required position. To this end, it has been practice that heretofore making is manually made on the printing belt 33 at positions in which the printing plates are adhered to the belt. This marking operation requires experience and skills and a long time is required to position the printing plates one by one at their required places on the belt. This reduces efficiency of operation of preparation for printing.
Therefore, a main object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for bonding printing plate onto an endless printing belt for a belt-type printing machine, in which the printing plate can be efficiently precisely bonded to the printing belt in a mechanical manner without any need for skill and within less time required for preparation of the printing belt.